TENNIS / L.A. TOURNAMENT : Former Champions Krickstein, Pate Will Open Play Today

Former champions Aaron Krickstein and David Pate open the $225,000 Volvo/Los Angeles tournament today with first-round matches.

Krickstein, who won the 1989 L.A. title, will play Dan Goldie in the third match of the day on the Stadium Court at UCLA. Pate, the 1987 champion, will play Peter Lundgren on the Grandstand Court.

The top four seeded players--Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Brad Gilbert--are scheduled to play their first-round matches Tuesday.

Fifth-seeded Cristiano Caratti and sixth-seeded Todd Woodbridge will play first-round matches today, Woodbridge against Wayne Ferreira and Caratti against Scott Davis.

Four qualifiers made it into the main draw Sunday: Steve Bryan, Javier Frana, Gianluca Pozzi and Mark Kaplan.

Davis and Pate are seeded first in the doubles, which also features the first partnership of Edberg and Sampras. Edberg and Sampras, who are not seeded, will play the third-seeded team of Gary Muller and Danie Visser tonight.

Jim Pugh had to find a new doubles partner for the event because Rick Leach is committed to playing TeamTennis for the Newport Beach Dukes, so Pugh is teaming with Frana for the event. Pugh-Frana are seeded fourth.